Three-track spiral gravity-conveyer.



G. H. G. WILLIAMS. THREE TRACK SPIRAL GRAVITY GONVEYER.

APPLIQATION FILED OUT. 10, 1908.

1 ,OO5 ,391 Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

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UNITED STATES PATNT GFFICE.

GEORGE H. C. WILLIAMS, OF METUCI-IEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO OTISELEVATOR COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEWJERSEY.

THREE-TRACK SPIRAL GRAVITY-CONVEYER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. C. WVIL- LIAMS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Metuchen, in the county of hliddlesex and State ofNew Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement .in Three- TrackSpiral Gravity-Conveyers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to spiral gravity conveyers adapted foruse in stores, warehouses, or other buildings, for conveying boxes,packages or other articles from the higher to the lower floors of thebuilding.

More specifically, the invention relates to a spiral conveyer of theabove mentioned character having a plurality of concentrically arrangedconveying surfaces, and one of the objects of the invention is theprovision of an improved form of conveyer of this type.

Another feature of the invention resides in the means for feedingarticles to the several conveying surfaces from the interior of thespiral.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novelcombinations of elements being set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a constructionembodying the present invention, Figure 1 is a plan view and Fig. 2 isan elevation of a portion of a conveyer comprising three conveyingsurfaces.

The conveyer as here shown comprises three concentrically arrangedspiral troughs or chutes A, B and C having horizontally disposedsurfaces A, B, C and vertically disposed side walls or flanges 1, 2, 3and 4. The intermediate flanges 2 and 3 each forms a side wall for thetwo adjacent conveying surfaces. The conveying surfaces A, B and C arepreferably stepped so that each surface at any horizontal plane ishigher than the next surface within the spiral.

The drawing shows the conveyer extending through a floor 5 of thebuilding, but it will be understood that it may extend through anydesired number of floors of a building. Adjacent the floor 5 is locateda series of chutes or intakes a, b and 0 com- Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed October 10. 1908.

Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

Serial No. 457,032.

municating respectively with the conveying surfaces A, B and G. Theuppermost chute a extends over the troughs A and B to the flange 3 whichseparates the sections B and C. The chute 0 comprises the side walls 6and 7 and the bottom surface 8, which latter may extend to the upperedge of the flange 3, so that articles placed within the chute 0 will beconveyed by gravity into the section C of the main conveyer. Theconstruction of the chutes b and a is similar to that of the chute 0,except that they extend only to the inner edges of the sections B and A,respectively.

It will be understood that the chutes or intakes a, Z) and 0 may bearranged at any convenient position or height with respect to the floor5, and that a series of these intakes may be provided at each of theintermediate floors of the building through which the main conveyerextends. As articles in their descent through the conveyer are alwaysheld by centrifugal force against the outer walls of the conveyingsections, there will be no interference between articles entering theconveyer through one of the intakes a, b or o and articles descendingfrom a higher. floor.

Various changes in the details of construction and arrangement of partsmight obviously be made by those skilled in the art without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention. The number of spiralconveying surfaces may also be varied as desired to suit the varyingrequirements and conditions found in practice. I wish there fore not tobe limited to the exact construction herein disclosed.

hat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is 1. In a gravity conveyer, the combination of spiral conveyingsurfaces having different diameters and concentrically arranged onewithin the circumference of the other, and means for feeding articles tosaid surfaces from the interior of the spiral.

2. In a gravity conveyer, the combination with inner and outer spiralsurfaces, of auxiliary conveying surfaces communicating therewith fromthe interior of the spiral.

3. In a gravity conveyer, the combination of concentric spiral chuteshaving different diameters and arranged one within another, andauxiliary chutes communicating there with at intermediate points alongthe inner edges of said chutes.

at. In a gravity conveyer, the combination with spiral conveyingsurfaces having different diameters and arranged concentrically onewithin another, and chutes located Copies of this patent may be obtainedfor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

one above the other and extending to the 10 inner edges of saidconveying surfaces.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE H. C. WILLIAMS. l/Vitnesses H. BRADY, L. C. HILLS.

